Editorial: SYN Magazine online

Believe it or not, I styled this editorial nearly a year ago! It has now been published on SYN Magazine's website. Despite how long it's taken, it's been worth the wait and I'm really excited to share it with you now.

Dress: Elizabeth Lau

Coat: Kirsty Ward

Top: Kirsty Ward

Coat: Kirsty Ward

Headscarf: Charlotte Taylor

Dress: Charlotte Taylor

Trousers: Kirsty Ward

Dress: Elizabeth Lau

Although I love these pictures, I also want to share a couple of ones that didn't make the cut...

Headscarf: Charlotte Taylor

Dress: Charlotte Taylor

Coat: Kirsty Ward

Top: Kirsty Ward

So what do you think?

Photographer: SJ Walton
Model: Lykke (M and P Models)
Make up and hair: Jenni Delfaco

Come back soon for more editorial fun!

David Longshaw SS12

I don't know much about art. In fact, I know nothing about art, but I believe a true artist sets out to tell a story. It's not always one that's easy to listen to or understand, but if it's told well it can transport us to a different and unfamiliar world, full of magic, mystery and dark beauty.

A prime example of such storytelling artistry is David Longshaw. He has based his entire Spring/Summer 2012 collection around a dark story of a girl who murders her boyfriend on a trip to Puffin Island. Intrigued? Take a look at his short inspiration animation.

"Father Said" by David Longshaw from DAVID LONGSHAW on Vimeo.

Despite the morbid subject matter, the collection exudes more of a dark romantic feel than a horror show. Although some of the pieces stay true to the murderous nature of the story, using funeral blacks and white lilies to evoke death, there are also rich injections of colour more in line with the brighter tones used in David's iconic scarf designs. As if that weren't good enough, this collection also features more bold and unique jewellery by the endlessly talented Kirsty Ward, whose own work I personally can't get enough of.

In short, I have fallen into a deep dark love with all of it. The concept, the story, the designs - all of it appeals to the secret inner-goth that dwells within my seemingly-sunny exterior, hungering for fashion with more bite than good craftsmanship alone can offer. It was so difficult to pick a favourite piece, so here is a selection from David Longshaw's hauntingly beautiful collection.

All photos courtesy of Iroquois PR

To find out more about David Longshaw and to view more of his amazing work, visit www.davidlongshaw.co.uk.

Best of British

I've been meaning to blog about Young British Designers for ages and ages, and now I'm finally doing it. Better late than never, eh?

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then listen up because you're in for a treat! Young British Designers is a brilliant website that celebrates the very best of the UK's fashion talent. In their own very apt words, "Young British Designers is proud to create the first dedicated retail environment purely focusing upon young talent working in this country (and by young we mean still in the formative years of their brand, we don't really mind if they start designing at 60 or beyond)."

And just because a brand is new, it certainly doesn't mean that it's short on talent. Everytime I go on the site, I find myself increasingly excited by the incredible designs for sale, and the best part is each piece is an investment. You just know that these designers are going blow up and become ridiculously popular any day now, and there's nothing like getting in at the ground floor.

Here are my personal favourite pieces available to buy right now over at YoungBritishDesigners.com:

Penguin print headscarf by Charlotte Taylor, £40

Xray Velvet Dress by Draw in Light, £420

Graugans Coat in Grey Marl by borne by Elise Berger, £415

Jake Wedges by Atalanta Weller, £425

Tie Necklace with Wire Loops, Bead & Crystal Cluster by Kirsty Ward, £99

The Mayfair Scarf by David Longshaw & Dominique Mosley, £120

(Photos courtesy of Young British Designers)

And that's just a small selection! I could go on and on...

To find out more about Young British Designers, head over to YoungBritishDesigners.com right now and browse their amazing wares. You can also follow them on Twitter, which I highly recommend because they're ever so lovely.

Behind the scenes: photoshoot with SJ Walton

Recently I styled a photoshoot for SJ Walton. We had been planning it for such a long time, but of course when it came to the big day we were met with torrential rain - always fun when shooting on location!


We were shooting at Hampstead Heath, and fortunately there was some shelter for us! There were even periods of sunshine, so it all turned out well in the end. The theme for the shoot was pretty and light, with lots of natural and soft colours. We were extremely lucky to feature some incredible pieces by some of my favourite independent designers, including Elizabeth Lau, Kirsty Ward and Charlotte Taylor.











It was a tough day, but it was still a lot of fun - thanks ladies! You were amazing.

Photographer: SJ Walton
Model: Lykke (M and P Models)
Make up and hair: Jenni Delfaco

I will hopefully be able to share the final photos with you all, so please come back soon to have a look!